Tappita Mayor Lauds Gov't for Hospital Project

NIMBA – As a government-initiated hospital project in Tappita, Nimba County, approaches its final stage, the Tappita City Mayor, Sarah Mendoabor, and some residents of the area have extended gratitude to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the Government of Liberia for the project.

Speaking to the Daily Observer on Tuesday, January 13, 2010 in Tappita, Lower Nimba County, the city’s mayor said the hospital will meet the health needs of both Nimbaians and the entire south-eastern region, including citizens from neighboring countries that share boundaries with Nimba.

The project, Mendoabor said, is of great benefit to her people. She added that for many years, Tappita had relied on the hospitals in Ganta and Monrovia, but with the presence of the new hospital in Tappita, her people will have smiles on their faces.

She added that the building will give a facelift to the city and compel residents to erect buildings that will reflect it.

When this reporter toured the hospital compound, the two main buildings for in-patients and out-patients were being erected. The in-patient portion had already been roofed while the out-patient department was being roofed.

The administration building has also been roofed while other auxiliary arms of the hospital are undergoing construction.

Efforts made to contact the Chinese technical engineer responsible for the project proved futile for the fact that he could not speak English and the interpreter had left for Monrovia at the time.

However, a local resident who works with the group said they had been informed that the work will be completed within four months.

Tappita is located south of Nimba County and has a population of more than 10,000 people. The town has no public clinic or hospital, and the people depend on mission clinics operated by Mid-Baptist and Catholic missions.